Tim Wise, “Imagine If The Tea Party Were Black”

(This was filmed several days ago at Sonoma State University.)

And who is Tim Wise?

Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and activists in the U.S. Wise has spoken in 48 states, on over 400 college campuses, and to community groups around the nation. Wise has provided anti-racism training to teachers nationwide, and has trained physicians and medical industry professionals on how to combat racial inequities in health care. His latest book is called Between Barack and a Hard Place.

I got this from Ephphatha Poetry, a website by a couple of mystics (that’s what they call themselves), Brian and Sara Brandsmeier, via AmericaBlog. This was too good:

“Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black”
Tim Wise

Let’s play a game, shall we? The name of the game is called “Imagine.” The way it’s played is simple: we’ll envision recent happenings in the news, but then change them up a bit. Instead of envisioning white people as the main actors in the scenes we’ll conjure – the ones who are driving the action – we’ll envision black folks or other people of color instead. The object of the game is to imagine the public reaction to the events or incidents, if the main actors were of color, rather than white. Whoever gains the most insight into the workings of race in America, at the end of the game, wins.

So let’s begin.

Imagine that hundreds of black protesters were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Capitol and White House, armed with AK-47s, assorted handguns, and ammunition. And imagine that some of these protesters —the black protesters — spoke of the need for political revolution, and possibly even armed conflict in the event that laws they didn’t like were enforced by the government? Would these protester — these black protesters with guns — be seen as brave defenders of the Second Amendment, or would they be viewed by most whites as a danger to the republic? What if they were Arab-Americans? Because, after all, that’s what happened recently when white gun enthusiasts descended upon the nation’s capital, arms in hand, and verbally announced their readiness to make war on the country’s political leaders if the need arose.

Imagine that white members of Congress, while walking to work, were surrounded by thousands of angry black people, one of whom proceeded to spit on one of those congressmen for not voting the way the black demonstrators desired. Would the protesters be seen as merely patriotic Americans voicing their opinions, or as an angry, potentially violent, and even insurrectionary mob? After all, this is what white Tea Party protesters did recently in Washington.

Imagine that a rap artist were to say, in reference to a white president: “He’s a piece of shit and I told him to suck on my machine gun.” Because that’s what rocker Ted Nugent said recently about President Obama.

Imagine that a prominent mainstream black political commentator had long employed an overt bigot as Executive Director of his organization, and that this bigot regularly participated in black separatist conferences, and once assaulted a white person while calling them by a racial slur. When that prominent black commentator and his sister — who also works for the organization — defended the bigot as a good guy who was misunderstood and “going through a tough time in his life” would anyone accept their excuse-making? Would that commentator still have a place on a mainstream network? Because that’s what happened in the real world, when Pat Buchanan employed as Executive Director of his group, America’s Cause, a blatant racist who did all these things, or at least their white equivalents: attending white separatist conferences and attacking a black woman while calling her the n-word.

Imagine that a black radio host were to suggest that the only way to get promoted in the administration of a white president is by “hating black people,” or that a prominent white person had only endorsed a white presidential candidate as an act of racial bonding, or blamed a white president for a fight on a school bus in which a black kid was jumped by two white kids, or said that he wouldn’t want to kill all conservatives, but rather, would like to leave just enough—“living fossils” as he called them—“so we will never forget what these people stood for.” After all, these are things that Rush Limbaugh has said, about Barack Obama’s administration, Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama, a fight on a school bus in Belleville, Illinois in which two black kids beat up a white kid, and about liberals, generally.

Imagine that a black pastor, formerly a member of the U.S. military, were to declare, as part of his opposition to a white president’s policies, that he was ready to “suit up, get my gun, go to Washington, and do what they trained me to do.” This is, after all, what Pastor Stan Craig said recently at a Tea Party rally in Greenville, South Carolina.

Imagine a black radio talk show host gleefully predicting a revolution by people of color if the government continues to be dominated by the rich white men who have been “destroying” the country, or if said radio personality were to call Christians or Jews non-humans, or say that when it came to conservatives, the best solution would be to “hang ‘em high.” And what would happen to any congressional representative who praised that commentator for “speaking common sense” and likened his hate talk to “American values?” After all, those are among the things said by radio host and best-selling author Michael Savage, predicting white revolution in the face of multiculturalism, or said by Savage about Muslims and liberals, respectively. And it was Congressman Culbertson, from Texas, who praised Savage in that way, despite his hateful rhetoric.

Imagine a black political commentator suggesting that the only thing the guy who flew his plane into the Austin, Texas IRS building did wrong was not blowing up Fox News instead. This is, after all, what Anne Coulter said about Tim McVeigh, when she noted that his only mistake was not blowing up the New York Times.

Imagine that a popular black liberal website posted comments about the daughter of a white president, calling her “typical redneck trash,” or a “whore” whose mother entertains her by “making monkey sounds.” After all that’s comparable to what conservatives posted about Malia Obama on freerepublic.com last year, when they referred to her as “ghetto trash.”

Imagine that black protesters at a large political rally were walking around with signs calling for the lynching of their congressional enemies. Because that’s what white conservatives did last year, in reference to Democratic party leaders in Congress.

In other words, imagine that even one-third of the anger and vitriol currently being hurled at President Obama, by folks who are almost exclusively white, were being aimed, instead, at a white president, by people of color. How many whites viewing the anger, the hatred, the contempt for that white president would then wax eloquent about free speech, and the glories of democracy? And how many would be calling for further crackdowns on thuggish behavior, and investigations into the radical agendas of those same people of color?

To ask any of these questions is to answer them. Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week, that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.

And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.

9 Responses to “Tim Wise, “Imagine If The Tea Party Were Black””

“Imagine that white members of Congress, while walking to work, were surrounded by thousands of angry black people, one of whom proceeded to spit on one of those congressmen for not voting the way the black demonstrators desired. Would the protesters be seen as merely patriotic Americans voicing their opinions, or as an angry, potentially violent, and even insurrectionary mob? After all, this is what white Tea Party protesters did recently in Washington.”

This has been proven to be inaccurate and there is no evidence that these incidents occurred. That is unless, of course, you have evidence that no one else in the country has seen. A minuscule amount of research, on your part, would have added some credibility to your post.

I never thought that this country was past racism. It doesn’t mean that it won’t happen, but it’s not there yet’.

This was not a personal indictment of you. I don’t know you like that. However, if you are black I included you just as I included myself because I was referring to “WE” as a people. My point was that it was great that someone took a mental game I’ve played for years and put it out there. My statement was that it would remind blacks that racism is not past is because it cannot be denied that many blacks buy into this myth. The higher thier station in this society the more likely thet are to buy into the notion, until they wind up in some trouble. Michael Steele is a recent case in point. Because he was allowed all the trappings and was allowed to sit at the table he downplayed race issues in America. I’m reminder of a joke by Brother Malcolm X. What do whites call a black man with a Ph.d? The answer: Nigger. My comment was suppose to have been a compliment of your selection and to remind people that the struggle is not and that like those who believe that the “South Shall Rise Again”, we should never forget or let our resolve waiver. Sorry if I offended you.

This was FANTASTIC! I’ve played “What If”, for decades everytime I read or watched the news. So much so that I’m considered bigoted. I think that playing, “What If”, forces black people to look at how racism is still alive and well, just more subtle and some people who are so proud of their “acceptance” do not want to hear this. Thank you for playing, “What If”, better than I.

SPRINGFIELD -- Senate lawmakers introduced a plan Tuesday that would give Gov. Bruce Rauner the power to sweep nearly $580 million from special funds as he seeks to plug a budget hole that threatens child care services and prison workers' paychecks.

A Mundelein teenager was ordered Tuesday afternoon to remain in a juvenile detention facility at least until she's 20 years old for the murder of her 11-year-old sister, but will be released by the time she turns 21.

Three more men have been arrested, and four others are being sought, in an investigation into Chicago-area "crash-and-grab" burglaries that netted the ring more than $2 million in merchandise, police said.

Bitterly admitting defeat, House Republicans on Tuesday abandoned their attempts to use the Homeland Security Department's spending bill to force concessions from President Barack Obama on immigration, and sent him legislation to fund the agency through the end of the budget year with no...

After a referendum led to them ditch their controversial 33 percent raises, Contra Costa County supervisors on Tuesday voted to give themselves 7 percent raises and created a committee to determine how such salary increases should be made in the future.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a speech that stirred political controversy in two countries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Congress on Tuesday that negotiations underway between Iran and the United States would "all but guarantee" that Tehran would get nuclear weapons, a step he said the

JACKSON, Ga. (AP) -- Citing concerns about the drug to be used in a lethal injection, corrections officials in Georgia postponed the execution of the state's only female death row inmate for the second time in a week.

PUCON, Chile (AP) -- One of South America's most active volcanoes erupted early Tuesday in southern Chile, spewing heavy smoke into the air as lava surged down its slopes, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands of people.

News of an auction to sell 3,000 New Orleans properties at potentially rock bottom prices lit up the Internet last week, as would-be speculators and hopeful homeowners eyed a way to access the city's booming real estate market on the...

Authorities arrested the former owner and chef of Vega Tapas Cafe in Old Metairie after an investigation into claims that the business overcharged sales tax on customer bills. An audit by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Bureau of Revenue and Taxation eventually determined that...

Abandoned and in disrepair, the green and white structure adjacent to the decommissioned water town on Theard Street in downtown Covington was at one time the city's primary fire station. With four bays that provided parking for emergency units and a...

Before entering his guilty plea to bribery and theft charges in 2012, the always talkative Aaron Broussard offered news reporters what he quipped might be his last quotation: "At 23 years old, I came into politics as a dragon slayer," said...

Deficient roads and bridges contribute to traffic congestion that is costing business sales and efficiency, the Wall Street Journal reports. The newspaper cites an American Society of Civil Engineers study that estimates the bottlenecks created by traffic will mean a $1...

The Jefferson Parish Council on Wednesday (March 4) is likely to defer a proposal to regulate transportation services such as Uber, which uses mobile technology applications to link riders with drivers. Councilwoman Cynthia Lee-Sheng, who is co-sponsoring the measure with...

BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana has built a $1.1 billion medical teaching hospital in New Orleans, but the manager of the soon-to-be-opened University Medical Center says Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget leaves it millions short of the operating cash it needs. Altogether,...

Netanyahu says Isis and Iran engaged in ‘deadly game of thrones’ Prime minister shuns Democrats but meets with RepublicansIsraeli PM’s speech to Congress snubbed by prominent Democrats 3.49pm ET We’re going to wrap our coverage of Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, in which he railed against a proposed deal with Iran over its nuc […]

Human Rights Watch accuses high-ranking officials of allowing extrajudicial killings and brutal practices to flourish after fall of TalibanTop Afghan officials have presided over murders, abduction, and other abuses with the tacit backing of their government and its western allies, Human Rights Watch says in a new report.A grim account of deaths, robbery, ra […]

Polish and Latvian officials are denied entry to Russia to attend funeral of opposition politician shot dead near KremlinMourners in Moscow have paid their respects to the Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, who was murdered on Thursday, as the EU criticised the decision to bar several Polish and Latvian officials from attending the funeral.Nemtsov’s bo […]

More than 3,000 people evacuated from homes after Villarrica sends lava and ash high into sky over nearby tourist resort of PucónA volcano in southern Chile has erupted in a series of massive explosions, sending fountains of orange flames thousands of feet into the night sky. An estimated 3,400 people were evacuated from the area around Villarica, including […]

Committee under pressure to censor disclosures about UK activity after Downing Street threatens to break off intelligence-sharing with BerlinDowning Street and the German chancellery are embroiled in a worsening dispute over intelligence-sharing and the covert counter-terrorism campaign because of conflicts arising from the surveillance scandals surrounding […]

Former US secretary of state may have broken federal law by using the private email account, according to the New York TimesFormer US secretary of state Hillary Clinton may have violated federal records laws by using a personal email account for all of her work messages, the New York Times reported on Monday.The newspaper said the likely Democratic president […]

Former rap mogul is hospitalised for third time since being charged with murder, and sacks his lawyersSuge Knight told a Los Angeles court on 2 March that he was nearly blind and “can’t really comprehend what was going on”. He was taken to a prison infirmary after the hearing, at which he also announced he had fired his lawyers and claimed he was receiving i […]

Turkish president’s personal doctor says ‘It’s usually not through bullets that prominent figures are being assassinated these days’Every meal that goes before the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is rigorously tested both at home and abroad for fear of assassination, his personal doctor said.And now a special food analysis laboratory will be built a […]

In a rare move, US House Speaker John Boehner was among those who voted to approve a bill funding the Homeland Security Department through the end of September, sending the bill to the desk of President Barack Obama for a signature.

Spend any length of time in New York City and a rat will show its whiskery face or worm-like tail. It could be on the subway tracks or nibbling through the garbage on the side of the street. It could also be carrying the bubonic plague.

A far right-wing radio host has sparked a race row, after she called on Democrat politicians, including members of the Black Congressional Caucus, to be hanged if they boycotted a controversial speech by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress today.

The homeless man shot dead by Los Angeles policemen on Sunday during a scuffle in which police say he grabbed at an officer's gun had previously served time in federal prison for armed bank robbery. He was also identified as a French national.

There’s a good old Yiddish (and Hebrew) word for what underlay Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress yesterday: chutzpah. He said at the outset, in tones of injured innocence: “I deeply regret that some have perceived my being here as political.”

An unbridled Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minster of Israel, last night accused the United States and its allies, including Britain, of pursuing an arms enforcement deal with Iran so weak that it would all but ensure that it acquires nuclear weapons, catapulting the world into a “nuclear nightmare”.

US officials are looking to deport as many as 150 Bosnian immigrants, who are believed to have been involved in war crimes committed in the Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995, according to the New York Times.